Treasure worth billions looted from India found in sea, 300 years ago a ship was attacked by pirates and then….

The Portuguese Empire's ship was going from Goa to Lisbon in India when it was attacked by pirates. Archaeologists have discovered the wreckage of this ship in the sea after 300 years. Treasure worth billions has been found in it.

Written by: Nivedita Dash Edited by: Nivedita Dash

Updated: July 11, 2025, 8:08 PM IST

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Treasure worth billions looted from India found in sea, 300 years ago a ship was attacked by pirates and then....

In a unique discovery, archaeologists have discovered the wreck of a 300-year-old ship inside the sea which has stored treasures worth 101 million pounds. According to the tales, this Portuguese ship named Nossa Senhora do Cabo sank in a major attack by pirates near Madagascar in 1721. The ship was going to Lisbon with goods from Goa when it was attacked by pirates. At that time Goa was ruled by Portugal.

According to the report of British media outlet The Sun, it is believed that this treasure-laden ship was attacked by pirates led by Captain Olivier de Buzzard Levasseur on 8 April 1721 and is considered one of the biggest robberies of pirates in history.

Treasure was being taken from India

It is estimated that this ship going from India had 200 slaves along with treasures worth billions of rupees, about whom it is not known till date what happened to them? Nossa Senhora do Cabo was a ship of the Portuguese Empire, which was equipped with heavy weapons. In such a situation, its capture and then sinking became a reason for infamy for the Portuguese Empire.

What was there in the ship?

Archaeologists have found the wreck of the historic ship in the bay of Ambodifotatra near the island of Nosy Boraha off the northeastern coast of Madagascar after 16 years of investigation. More than 3,300 artifacts have been recovered from the wreck site. These include religious statues, gold ingots, pearls and chests full of treasure.

An ivory plaque was found with the words ‘INRI’ in gold letters. This is an abbreviation for the Latin words Iesus Nazarenus Rex Iudaeorum, which means ‘Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.’ Brown University researchers Brandon A. Clifford and Mark R. Agostini described the cargo as ‘an incredible treasure even by pirate standards’. They estimate that the cargo alone could be worth more than £108 million in today’s currency.